Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Nitro earns a D, ranked 53rd of 61 in West Virginia, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. It reports more crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns, including 10 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. In its favor, it is more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns. Nitro’s property crime rate is 37.2 per 1,000 residents, above both West Virginia’s towns (16.5) and U.S. towns (9.9). FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 98% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Ridenour Memorial Park, at 82 acres with 3.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Nitro beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within West Virginia), ordered by how far Nitro is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,983 in 1940, 6,624 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1973 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Nitro, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Nitro.
Nitro trades workers with Charleston and other neighbors and looks healthier within West Virginia than nationally, but it reports property crime at 3 times the West Virginia rate.
7.2 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Nitro’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
| Nitro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 2.5% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ridenour Memorial Park | 3.3 mi | 82 |
| 2. Robert C. Byrd Boat Launch | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Kanawha County Schools. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Nitro High School, with 818 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitro Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 377 | B− |
| Nitro High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 818 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WV on state tests and graduation
Of the 61 West Virginia towns we compare, none has a higher FEMA risk score than Nitro. Since 1980, 35 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Nitro.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Within West Virginia it is less healthy than 53% of the 61 graded towns: much of West Virginia scores lower on these measures.
31% of Nitro adults have been diagnosed with depression. Nitro beats the West Virginia average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 22% of Nitro adults report frequent mental distress.
| Nitro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 31% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 21% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 44% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Nitro | WV |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 60.7% | 55.5% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70% | 66.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Property crime runs at 37.2 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the West Virginia rate, most of it theft. Reported crimes fell from 349 to 245 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Nitro reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 90% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Nitro has chilly winters and warm summers. The July high in Nitro is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Nitro home is worth about $143,000, down 1.9% in a year, 19% below the West Virginia typical home.
| Nitro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 75% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $949 a month | $874 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nitro has about as many jobs (2,613) as working residents, but only 124 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Nitro for work: only 5% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Nitro. Jobs based in Nitro fell to 2,613 in 2023, 649 fewer than in 2013.
| Nitro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 16% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 14% | 8% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $59,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 21 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the West Virginia average. Nitro has lost 5% of its people since 2020, down to 6,270 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 17% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 24% across West Virginia.
| Nitro | West Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 17% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 44.5 years | 42 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 21% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across West Virginia, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Nitro | WV | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.1% | 9.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.5% | 8.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.8% | 12% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.8% | 12.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.6% | 8.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.1% | 10.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 44.1% | 39.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 17.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.7% | 8.4% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 8.5% | 14.4% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 9.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
3 within 15 miles of the center of Nitro
About 2 of every 100 Nitro residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across West Virginia.
4 notable people were born in Nitro.
City in West Virginia, US
Nitro is a city in Kanawha and Putnam counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It takes its name from a World War I-era nitrocellulose plant. The population was 6,618 according to the 2020 census. It is part of the Charleston metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Nitro.
| Town | WV rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitro | #53 | D | B+ | D | C+ | D |
| Cross Lanes | #15 | B− | A− | — | C+ | C |
| Institute | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Teays Valley | #4 | A | C+ | — | A+ | B |
Cross Lanes and Teays Valley report no FBI crime data of their own. Institute and Jefferson aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Nitro with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Nitro grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #53 of 61 in West Virginia. It grades D for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
4 notable people were born here, including Kayla Williams and Lew Burdette.
